Iconarp International Journal of Architecture and Planning (Jun 2024)

The Site Narrative: Mimarlik 1990-2020

  • Beste Şimşek,
  • Esin Kömez Dağlıoğlu,
  • Pelin Yoncacı Arslan

DOI
https://doi.org/10.15320/ICONARP.2024.276
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1

Abstract

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Throughout history, various alternative approaches have been considered that conceptualize the dialogue between architectural objects and their sites. This study explores whether this conceptual richness is reflected in Turkey’s contemporary architectural agenda by focusing mainly on the period from 1990 to the present. The Mimarlık Journal, one of Turkey’s leading architectural journals, was chosen as the object of investigation, presenting the contemporary written language of academics and professionals. In this research, relevant and current literature was first reviewed to identify site-related terms (place, settlement, local, topography, context, environment, nature, history, social, culture and identity) as a toolkit for analyzing the Mimarlık Journal. The analysis of the toolkit has led to the creation of a digital database via the application of digital humanities methods of manual text mining and critical reading to highlight the diversity and richness of sites’ language(s). The result is the mapping of the terms used in context to understand the diversity, actors, and systems of thought in site narrative. The results show that the discussions in the journal mainly focus on the critique of contemporary architectural practices, rather than theoretically expanding the topic and drawing on production in fields such as art, philosophy, and anthropology. The discussions in the journal refer to the canonical texts of international literature in the field of architectural theory and urbanism between the 1960s and the 1990s. However, there is an evident lack of current sources in the bibliographies, which shows that systems and patterns of thought do not change simultaneously. This study shows that the mapping and deep reading of journal articles represent a very effective research method in the field of architecture by contributing to the site narrative while making apparent the diversity and richness of its language.

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